BRAND NEW WORLD

As the cheers subsided, I rose from the VIP seat and walked toward the waiting area for the participants. Rima, confused, quickly followed me along with Lusserina. A few minutes later, we arrived at the waiting area, where many contestants were either awaiting their turn or had already finished.

As I scanned the area, I finally spotted Elise and the others crowding around Lynn, who had just won her first match. Smiles lit up everyone's faces.

The moment brought a wave of nostalgia—I was reminded of the days I spent with my old companions.

"Congratulations on your win, Lynn," I greeted her as I approached.

"Big Sis Luna! Big Sis Rima! Lusserina too!" shouted Phina and Elise.

"Thank you, Big Sis Luna, Big Sis Rima, and Lusserina," said Lynn.

"No need to thank us. You won that with your effort," replied Rima.

"Kyle, too… congrats on your victory."

"Thank you very much for your support, Miss Luna. And thank you, Miss Rima and Lusserina as well," replied Kyle.

"You both have grown so much. Now I can't wait to see Al, Phina, and Elise."

"If Big Sis Luna watches, I'll get nervous," said Elise.

"Yeah, me too," added Phina.

"You'll be fine," Lynn assured them.

"Lynn's right. We've trained and fought together for six months to prove to Luna that we've grown. We can't give up halfway," said Al.

Hearing Al's words, everyone's spirits reignited, their eyes burning with determination. Soon, the announcer's voice called Phina to the arena.

"You've got this, Phin!" shouted Elise.

"Thanks, Elise," Phina replied.

"Big Sis Luna, Big Sis Rima, Lusserina—wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" I responded.

Phina entered the arena. Her opponent was a woman wielding a bow. The two faced each other. Not long after, the gong sounded to signal the match's start.

The archer dashed sideways and quickly fired a volley of arrows at Phina, who remained still. Her lips moved as if chanting. The arrows closed in—but one meter before reaching her, they froze mid-air as if held by some force and dropped to the ground.

The archer frowned, clearly in disbelief. She fired again, but the result was the same.

Phina, who hadn't moved at all until then, began chanting and launched several fireballs at her opponent. They were slower than the arrows and easily dodged.

This time, the archer used a new strategy—she fired three arrows simultaneously from different angles: left, right, and center.

"Split shot? So that technique still exists," I thought.

The arrows flew swiftly. Phina leapt backward and swung her staff.

CLANG!

She dodged the left and right arrows and blocked the center one with her staff. Then she began chanting again.

"I won't let you!" shouted the archer, sprinting forward and firing again.

But Phina's casting was fast. She launched more fireballs. Most missed, but the final one exploded near the archer, blasting her backward. She rolled several meters before stopping. As she tried to stand, Phina stood before her, staff aimed.

"I—I surrender…" the archer murmured.

Cheers erupted once more, including from Elise and the others. We went to meet Phina in the waiting room. Everyone wore bright, happy smiles.

"That was an impressive match," Rima commented.

"Th-thank you, Miss Rima!" replied Phina.

"Mages are often the core of a team because of their destructive power. However, their weakness lies in facing highly mobile opponents. Right, Lun?"

"True. But Phina handled that weakness very well," I said.

"Hehe, it's because I've trained a lot with Lynn. She gave me advice on how to deal with fast enemies," Phina explained.

"You're amazing," said Rima.

"It's all thanks to Big Sis Luna's guidance," added Phina.

"Me?"

"Yes! We're only this strong because you trained us," Elise chimed in.

"Oho… Teacher Luna~" teased Rima with a sly smile.

"You looking for a fight?!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Cheers still echoed throughout the colosseum. This time, Elise's name was called. I was slightly surprised—she was no longer carrying her magic staff, but instead wielded a small round shield in her left hand and a mace in her right.

A battle cleric?

Her opponent was a man dressed like a mage.

"A priest? In the arena? HAHAHA. Carrying a mace like that? Be careful not to hurt yourself," the mage laughed.

The crowd murmured and whispered as Elise entered the arena. Some even laughed out loud.

"Has that girl lost her mind?"

"She must be insane."

"You can do it, Elise! You'll win!" Phina shouted from the audience.

Encouraged, the others cheered too. Elise and I made eye contact, and I gave her a nod.

"This'll be easy," the arrogant mage muttered.

"One of the biggest mistakes in battle is underestimating your opponent," Lusserina said calmly.

The whistle blew.

The mage began chanting while Elise sprinted toward him. Before she made it halfway, the mage released a massive fireball aimed straight at her.

While running, Elise also chanted. When the fireball was five meters away, she fired a water sphere, clashing directly with the flame. The impact caused a cloud of steam to rise, veiling the arena in mist.

"Fog?" the mage said, surprised.

A thick white mist blanketed the field. Not even the audience could see Elise—but with my skills and perception, I could track her movements.

The mage grew uneasy. Suddenly, a water projectile shot at him from within the mist. He countered with a fireball. Then more came, from multiple angles—he blocked each one.

Panicking, he chanted a wind spell to dispel the mist. As it cleared, Elise burst forth from the fog and struck with her mace. The mage managed to block it with his staff.

"You think you can bring me down so easily? I'm a veteran C-rank mage! Don't underestimate me!" he yelled.

He chanted again. A magic circle appeared beneath Elise, and the mage leapt back as a column of fire shot skyward.

"Elise!" Phina and the others cried.

"Don't blame me for going all out," the mage smirked.

The flames began to fade. A look of shock crossed everyone's faces—including the mage's.

Ice Shield?

A dome of ice stood where Elise had last been. Moments later, it shattered into fist-sized shards—then launched at high speed toward the mage.

At such close range, the mage couldn't dodge. He was pelted by dozens of icy projectiles and collapsed unconscious.

"The winner is... Elise!"

Applause and cheers thundered through the colosseum. Phina and the others jumped with joy. Elise had joined the rest in the next round.

After Elise's match, it wasn't long before Al's name was called to the arena. With everyone's support, there was a fiery determination in Al's eyes as he made his way forward. We watched from the stands.

"And now, the match everyone's been waiting for! Last year's colosseum champion—Gale the Wind Swordsman!" announced the commentator.

Roars of applause erupted across the colosseum as a black-haired man stepped into the arena, wearing a long brown leather coat and holding a sword.

Gale? The Wind Swordsman?

"And his opponent, a newcomer from the east—Aldian!" the announcer added.

"Looks like today's not Al's lucky day," Rima said calmly.

Everyone turned to her.

"What do you mean, Rima?" asked Phina.

"I don't think Al will make it to the next round," she replied.

"He won't? Is his opponent really that strong?" Elise asked, worried.

I used Analyze, and the result was shocking—Gale's level was three times higher than Al's.

"He's been the champion of this tournament for five consecutive years. He's also an A-rank adventurer," Rima added.

"A-rank?!" Elise and the others gasped in unison.

The whistle blew. The match began.

Al charged forward and thrust his sword straight ahead. But Gale easily sidestepped with just a slight twist of his body. Al followed with several slashes and stabs, but again, Gale dodged effortlessly.

Then Gale swung his palm forward, striking Al in the chest.

WHAM!

Al was sent flying several meters before crashing to the ground. As he tried to get up, a pair of boots appeared before his eyes. Looking up, he saw a sword pointed directly at him.

"…"

"I... lost," Al muttered.

"The winner is Gale! A lightning-fast match! That makes it Gale's nineteenth consecutive win!" the announcer declared.

After the match, we hurried backstage to check on Al. As soon as she saw him, Elise ran forward and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, hey... What's this about?" Al asked softly.

Elise didn't answer. She just held on. The atmosphere turned still and quiet.

"…"

After a moment, she let go. Her eyes were slightly teary.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Let me heal you," she said gently.

"I'm fine. I guess luck just wasn't on my side today," Al said with a bitter smile.

"Don't be disheartened. This tournament isn't exactly fair," Rima said.

"What do you mean, Rima?" asked Phina.

"All contestants are treated equally, without consideration for background. That means an F-rank adventurer can end up facing someone in A-rank. That's why it's unfair," Rima explained.

"Rima's right," I added. "Don't be discouraged by a single defeat. It just means there's room to grow stronger."

"You're both right. I'll keep training. One day, if I meet him again... I want to be able to stand my ground," Al said, smiling again.

Gale, the Wind Swordsman... Is he really who I think he is? I wondered silently.